Seal-lock



(No Model.)

J. PLAYER. SEAL LOOK.

Patented Aug. 6, 1895.

simple, economical and efficient seal-lock for together, so that some portion of the lock JOHN PLAYER, OF

TOPEKA, KANSAS.

SEAL-LOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent 1\l'o. 544,004, dated August 6, 1895.

Application filed March 9, 1895- Serial No. 541,180. (No model.)

To all uhom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN PLAYER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Topeka, Kansas, have invented certain new and. useful Improvements in Seal-Locks, of which the following is a specification. I

The object of my invention is to provide a freight-car doors; and the invention consists in the features and combinations hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a portion of a freight-car with my improved lock attached thereto; Fig. 2, a vertical section taken on line2 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 an enlarged transverse section taken on line 3 of Fig.- 1.

In the use of seal-locks for freight-car doors it is customary to provide a locking-bolt or similar portion with a wire having a fusible or soft seal which connects the free ends parts or seal must be mutilated before the bolt can be withdrawn and the door opened. The seal is the portion which is generally inspected by the railroad inspectors, or people in charge of different divisions of the railroad, and when mutilated or broken in any way the movements of the car are traced or checked back to find the last station at which the seal was 0 Kd. Burglars and sneakthieves oftentimes commit depredations and robbery by sawing the bolt with a .fine jewelers saw, springing it apart, removingthe seal bodily, opening the car, and taking out the articles they desire, after which they relock the car, replace the bolt in its locking position, and spring the seal back into place. In this way the car is often checked as O K when in reality it has been tampered with. These depredations are not discovered until the car has reached its destination, so that there is no possible way of locating the particular district ,where the robbery took place.

The principal object of my invention is to provide a simple, economical, and efficient seal-1ock that will prevent the opening of the car or withdrawal of the locking-bolt unless the seal be broken or such destruction of the parts has taken place that it can be readily perceived by those having charge of inspection, thus providing means by which a robbery or mutilation of the seal-lock can be instantly detected and the district in which such depredations occurred located.

In constructing my improved seal-lock I provide a frame portion A, which is provided with a staple B, adapted to receive the hasp 0, attached to the car-door in any usual manner. The frame portion is secured to the sill D of the car by means of bolts E E, the bolt E being located with its head portion directly under the hasp and other parts hereinafter described, so that such bolt cannot be withdrawn until the hasp has been removed from its engagement with the staple, thus permitting the unlocking of the door.

To look the hasp in place andprovide a seal which cannot be removed until a substantial destruction of the parts has taken place I provide a locking-bolt G, that has its forwardlyprojecting round portion g entering the open ing of the staple immediately over the engaging-hasp, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The frame is provided with a saddle portion H and the bolt with an inwardly-projecting dovetail portion I engaging the saddle portion of the frame. The saddleportion is slotted, as at 't', to receive the dovetail of the locking-bolt, so that the same may be moved freely forward and backward therein. The saddle portion of the frame is slitted or perforated, as at K, and the dovetail projection also slitted, as at i, so that when the locking-bolt is in its locked position these perforations or slots register with each other, and a strip of metal L may be passed therethrough and fastened together at its free ends by means of a soft seal Z. The dovetail projection of the locking-bolt is also slotted, as at W, so that should the bolt be sawed through from the outsidein order to make an attempt to remove the seal bodilythe lower portion of the bolt would drop down, thus disclosing the mutilation of the parts.

In use the locking-bolt israised to its highest position, so that its dovetail-piece may contact the head of the bolt E and be prevented from falling out thereby. The hasp is then brought into engagement with the staple, the bolt dropped to its lower position, the seal passed through the registered perforations, and the ends sealed together, thus locking the car securely against any opening of the door until either the seal or other parts have been sensibly mutilated or destroyed.

It will be seen from the above description and inspection of the drawings that in order to release the parts from their locking engagement the seal must be destroyed or the lockingbolt and frame sawed through from the outside in such a manner that the sawing may be easily observed, or the parts will be left in such a weak condition that they will fail to operate, thereby notifying the inspector that the car has been tampered with.

I claim- 1. In a seal lock, the combination of a frame portion provided with a staple and sealingperforation, and a locking bolt provided with a sealing slit opening to one side and adapted to register with the seal perforation of the frame portion when in its locked position with a connected seal so that such parts cannot be unlocked until the seal has been mutilated or the parts destroyed, substantially as described.

2. In a seal lock, the combination of a frame portion provided with a staple and saddle portion having a sealing perforation, a looking bolt provided with an inwardly projecting dovetail engaging with the saddle portion of the frame and provided with a sealing per foration adapted to register with the seal perforation of the saddle when in its locked po sition, substantially as described.

3. In a seal lock, the combination of a frame portion provided with a staple near one end, a saddle portion near the other end having a sealing perforation, between which the saddle portion and staple a bolt is arranged to secure the frame portion to the sill of a car so that such securing bolt cannot be released until the parts are unlocked, and a locking bolt provided with an inwardly projecting dovetail portion inserted in the saddle of the frame having a sealing perforation adapted to register with the perforation of the saddle when the parts are in their locked position, and such dovetail portion arranged to abut against a securing bolt of the frame portion to prevent the entire withdrawal of the locking bolt, substantially as described.

JOllN PLAYER. Witnesses:

D. E. (JAIN, Tnos. MASON. 

